4 Best Alternatives to Continue in 2026
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
From our data: All 4 Continue replacements listed here can be used free, 2 of them (Cline and Aider) match Continue's free Apache 2.0, bring-your-own-key setup, and the 2 published paid entry prices, GitHub Copilot Pro at $10/user/month and Cursor Pro at $20/month, average $15/month, below the $20/seat/month Continue charged for its discontinued hosted Team plan.
GitHub Copilot
Cursor
Cline
AiderHow we picked
- Continue is frozen, and that framed the comparison: Cursor acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026, the hosted plans were shut down with recurring billing disabled, and the repository has been read-only since the final VS Code release, v2.1.0, on June 19, 2026. Each alternative carries current on-site pricing, verified on 14 September 2026 for GitHub Copilot and 1 October 2026 for Cursor, Cline and Aider.
- Editor coverage was matched against Continue's footprint of a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin and a terminal CLI: GitHub Copilot covers VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim and GitHub.com, Cline covers VS Code, JetBrains (early access) and a CLI, Cursor replaces the editor with its own VS Code fork, and Aider runs only in the terminal.
- Model freedom was weighed because Continue's standout was running on your own API keys or local models through Ollama: Cline and Aider work the same way, with no subscription and costs paid to your model provider, while GitHub Copilot and Cursor bundle model access into their own plans, with usage-based credits or charges on paid tiers.
- Cost was compared with what Continue costs today, $0 plus your model provider, and with its discontinued hosted plans (Starter at $3 per million tokens, Team at $20/seat/month): Cline and Aider are free, GitHub Copilot Pro is $10/user/month and Cursor Pro is $20/month, with Cursor Teams at $40/user/month.
- Review evidence is thin across the board and was treated as context rather than as the ranking signal: GitHub Copilot has 4.5/5 from 50 Capterra reviews, Cursor 5.0/5 from 4 Capterra reviews and Aider 5.0/5 from a single Product Hunt review, while Cline and Continue have no external rating on record.
Paid placement never alters editorial rank — read the full methodology.
Continue alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | Learning curve | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuereference | pointing an IDE coding agent at your own API keys or a local model served through Ollama, when you can accept software that no longer receives updates | Moderate | Free |
| GitHub Copilot | developers already working inside GitHub-integrated IDEs (VS Code, JetBrains) who want inline AI code completions plus PR review and coding-agent features without switching tools | Low | Free tier · paid from $10/mo |
| Cursor | software teams that want autonomous AI agents handling multi-file changes and PR reviews directly inside their editor and CI pipeline | Moderate | Free tier · paid from $20/mo |
| Cline | developers who want a free, open-source coding agent that works across multiple IDEs and lets them choose and pay for any AI model provider directly | Moderate | Free |
| Aider | developers comfortable in a terminal who want a model-agnostic AI coding assistant without a subscription, paying only for the LLM tokens they actually use | Moderate | Free |
Continue1GitHub Copilot — best Continue alternative for developers already working inside GitHub-integrated IDEs (VS Code, JetBrains) who want inline AI code completions plus PR review and coding-agent features without switching tools
GitHub Copilot is the best replacement for most Continue users, because Continue is no longer maintained: Cursor acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026, the hosted plans were shut down, and the repository has been read-only since the final v2.1.0 release. Copilot runs in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, the two editors Continue supported, plus Visual Studio, Neovim and GitHub.com, so nobody has to change editors. That matters most for JetBrains users, since Continue's JetBrains plugin stopped at v1.0.67 in March 2026. Copilot's Free plan gives 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month, and Pro at $10/user/month adds unlimited completions, $15 of monthly model credits, code review and cloud agents that open pull requests. Copilot holds 4.5/5 from 50 Capterra reviews, where Continue has no external rating on record. Continue, which still installs and runs, remains the better choice for developers who need local models or their own API keys with no account. Copilot's listing names no bring-your-own-key or Ollama option, the Free plan comes with a GitHub account, and usage-based credits on paid tiers make heavy-usage bills harder to predict than Continue, which costs nothing beyond your own model provider.
Compared to Continue: built and sold by GitHub where Continue's repository has been read-only since v2.1.0, the same VS Code and JetBrains coverage plus Visual Studio, Neovim and GitHub.com, no bring-your-own-key or local-model option named in Copilot's listing
Wins:A current GitHub product with pricing verified in September 2026, where Continue's hosted plans were shut down and its repository has been read-only since v2.1.0 · Integrates with VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim and GitHub.com, where Continue's JetBrains plugin stopped at v1.0.67 in March 2026 · Pro at $10/user/month adds unlimited completions, $15 of monthly model credits, code review and cloud agents that open pull requests, and Copilot holds 4.5/5 from 50 Capterra reviews where Continue has none on record
Loses:No bring-your-own-key or local-model option is named in Copilot's listing, where Continue runs on any provider or an Ollama model and can run fully offline · Free plan caps use at 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month, where Continue has no usage limits beyond your own model provider · Usage-based model credits on paid tiers make heavy-usage bills harder to predict, and Business and Enterprise prices are not listed on GitHub's own pricing page
Pros
- Deep, first-party integration with GitHub.com, VS Code, and JetBrains IDEs.
- Free tier gives every GitHub user a meaningful number of completions with no subscription.
- Supports multiple AI models (including third-party models like Claude and Gemini) depending on plan.
- Coding agent and PR review features extend beyond simple autocomplete into automated code changes.
Cons
- Usage-based model credits on paid tiers make monthly costs harder to predict for heavy users.
- Not always reliable on complex logic or large codebases; generated code still needs careful review.
- Business and Enterprise pricing isn't listed directly on GitHub's public pricing page, requiring a sales conversation.
- Premium model access (like Opus on Pro+) consumes credits significantly faster than base models.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $10/mo — Free (2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month) or $10/user/month Pro vs Continue at $0 plus your own model costs; Continue's discontinued hosted Team plan was $20/seat/month (verified )
2Cursor — best Continue alternative for software teams that want autonomous AI agents handling multi-file changes and PR reviews directly inside their editor and CI pipeline
Cursor is the Continue replacement for developers who want agents to do more of the work and are willing to switch editors. Cursor is also the company that acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026, after which Continue's hosted plans were shut down and its repository went read-only. Cursor is an AI-native editor forked from VS Code, so a Continue user coming from VS Code starts from a familiar base. Cursor's agents can read a codebase, plan a multi-file change, write the code, run tests and open a pull request, with an autonomy slider setting how much independence they get, and cloud agents keep running for hours or days off the local machine. Cursor supports Grok, Claude and its own Composer model; the Hobby tier is free with no credit card, Pro is $20/month and Teams is $40/user/month. Continue, still free to install, is the better fit for JetBrains users and anyone who wants to stay in stock VS Code, since Cursor replaces the editor rather than adding an extension. Cursor's listing also names no local-model or bring-your-own-key option, usage-based charges can make bills unpredictable, Ultra jumps to $200/month, and the 5.0/5 rating rests on 4 Capterra reviews.
Compared to Continue: agents that plan, test and open pull requests from the company that acquired Continue's maker, a separate VS Code-based editor instead of an extension for VS Code and JetBrains, paid plans from $20/month where Continue costs $0 plus your model provider
Wins:Agents read a codebase, plan multi-file changes, run tests and open pull requests, with an autonomy slider and cloud agents that run for hours or days off the local machine · A current product from Cursor, which acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026, where Continue itself has been read-only since v2.1.0 · Pro at $20/month adds MCPs, skills, hooks and cloud agents, and Teams at $40/user/month adds SAML/OIDC SSO, privacy mode and shared context agents
Loses:Replaces the editor rather than installing as an extension, so JetBrains users and anyone staying in stock VS Code have to switch tools · No local-model or bring-your-own-key option is named in Cursor's listing, where Continue runs on any provider or an Ollama model · Usage-based charges can make monthly cost unpredictable, Ultra jumps to $200/month, and the 5.0/5 rating rests on 4 Capterra reviews
Pros
- Autonomous agents can plan, write, test, and open pull requests with minimal hand-holding.
- Multi-model support (Grok, Claude, Cursor's own Composer) avoids lock-in to a single AI provider.
- Cloud agents keep running on long tasks without tying up the developer's local machine.
- Free Hobby tier requires no credit card, making it easy to evaluate before paying.
Cons
- Usage-based charges on top of the subscription make total monthly cost harder to predict than a flat fee.
- Steep price jump from Pro ($20/month) to Ultra ($200/month) for teams needing higher Agent limits.
- Requires comfort delegating multi-file changes to an agent, a real workflow shift for developers used to manual review of every diff.
- No iOS or Android app; Cursor is desktop- and CLI-only.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $20/mo — Free Hobby tier or $20/month Pro vs Continue at $0 plus your own model costs; Cursor Teams at $40/user/month vs Continue's discontinued $20/seat/month Team plan (verified )
3Cline — best Continue alternative for developers who want a free, open-source coding agent that works across multiple IDEs and lets them choose and pay for any AI model provider directly
Cline is the closest like-for-like replacement for Continue, which stopped receiving fixes when its repository went read-only after Cursor acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026. Like Continue, Cline is Apache 2.0 licensed, costs nothing itself and runs on your own API keys from Anthropic, OpenAI or Google, or on a local Ollama model. Cline ships as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin in early access and a CLI, close to the VS Code, JetBrains and terminal footprint Continue had. Cline adds multi-file edits with automatic linter fixes, checkpoints for rolling back, a Plan-and-Act mode that reviews strategy before execution, and .clinerules project rules in place of Continue's config.yaml rules. Cline reports 8M+ installs and use at Samsung, Amazon and Microsoft. Continue still covers one job Cline's listing does not name: autocomplete, one of Continue's four modes alongside agent, chat and edit, so developers who mainly used completions may do better with GitHub Copilot. Cline's JetBrains plugin is also still in early access, SSO, SLAs and centralized billing sit in a custom-priced Enterprise tier, every request draws on your own API balance with no flat price, and Cline has no external rating on record.
Compared to Continue: the same Apache 2.0, bring-your-own-key approach from a project still in development, a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin and CLI like Continue's, no autocomplete mode named where Continue had one
Wins:Same Apache 2.0 license and bring-your-own-key model as Continue (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google or a local Ollama model), from a project still in development rather than a read-only repository · Multi-file edits with automatic linter fixes, checkpoints for rollback and a Plan-and-Act mode that separates strategy review from execution · 8M+ installs and use at Samsung, Amazon and Microsoft, plus an Enterprise tier with SSO, SLAs and centralized billing for teams that need a vendor
Loses:No autocomplete mode is named in Cline's listing, where Continue offered agent, chat, edit and autocomplete modes · The JetBrains plugin is still in early access, and Enterprise features need a custom quote · No bundled usage or flat price, so costs scale with your own provider's token pricing, and Cline has no external rating on record
Pros
- Fully open-source under Apache 2.0, with no subscription fee for the tool itself.
- Model-agnostic: works with Claude, GPT, Gemini, and local Ollama models via a bring-your-own-key setup.
- Available as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, CLI, and embeddable SDK.
- Plan-and-Act mode separates strategy review from execution, and checkpoints allow reverting changes.
Cons
- No bundled AI usage included; costs scale directly and unpredictably with each provider's own token pricing.
- JetBrains support is still in early access, behind the more mature VS Code extension.
- Requires managing and securing your own API keys across one or more model providers.
- Enterprise features (SSO, SLA, centralized billing) require a custom sales conversation rather than transparent published pricing.
Pricing: Free — Free with your own API keys on both; Cline Enterprise is custom-priced, while Continue's paid hosted plans (Starter at $3 per million tokens, Team at $20/seat/month) were shut down in June 2026 (verified )
4Aider — best Continue alternative for developers comfortable in a terminal who want a model-agnostic AI coding assistant without a subscription, paying only for the LLM tokens they actually use
Aider is the Continue replacement for developers who used Continue's terminal CLI, the tool the Continue project recommends instead of its JetBrains plugin, which stopped at v1.0.67 in March 2026. Continue itself has been read-only since Cursor acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026. Like Continue, Aider is Apache-2.0 licensed with no subscription and runs on your own keys for Anthropic, OpenAI or DeepSeek, or on local models through Ollama. Aider works inside a git repository from the terminal: Aider sends the model a condensed repository map plus the most relevant files, which keeps token costs down on large codebases, and commits every accepted edit to git so each change can be reviewed or reverted. Aider supports 100+ languages, has 48.4k GitHub stars against Continue's roughly 36,300, and reports 6.8 million weekly installs. Continue, which still installs, remains the better fit for anyone who wants AI inside the editor, because Aider has no GUI or IDE-native interface. Aider's support is also community-only, with no vendor or SLA behind it, costs scale with your provider's token usage, and the 5.0/5 rating comes from a single Product Hunt review.
Compared to Continue: a terminal workflow that commits every accepted edit to git, a repository map that keeps large codebases within context limits, no IDE extension where Continue ran inside VS Code and JetBrains
Wins:Automatic git commits on every accepted edit, so each change is versioned and easy to roll back · Repository map sends a condensed view of the codebase plus the most relevant files, keeping large projects within context limits and token costs down · 48.4k GitHub stars against Continue's roughly 36,300, plus 6.8 million weekly installs and support for 100+ languages, where Continue's repository is read-only
Loses:Terminal only, with no GUI or IDE-native interface, where Continue ran as a VS Code extension and a JetBrains plugin · Community support only, with no vendor or SLA behind the project · Costs scale with your own provider's token usage, and the 5.0/5 rating comes from a single Product Hunt review
Pros
- No subscription fee; Apache-2.0 licensed and free to self-host indefinitely.
- Works with any LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, local models), avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Automatic git commits on every edit keep changes reviewable and revertible.
- Repository mapping lets it work effectively on large, existing codebases, not just greenfield projects.
Cons
- Terminal-only interface with no native GUI, a steeper adjustment for developers used to IDE-integrated tools.
- Actual cost is variable and provider-dependent, since Aider itself doesn't charge but token usage does.
- Requires users to separately manage and secure their own LLM API keys and billing.
- Community support only, since there is no vendor offering paid enterprise support or SLAs.
Pricing: Free — Free on both, with your own API keys paying for model usage; neither Aider nor Continue charges a subscription today (verified )
Which one is right for you?
- You used Continue inside a JetBrains IDE, where its plugin stopped at v1.0.67, and want an assistant integrated thereGitHub Copilot
- You mostly used Continue for completions and chat and no longer want to manage model keysGitHub Copilot
- You are ready to switch editors and want agents that plan, test and open pull requests on their ownCursor
- You want long agent tasks to keep running off your laptop for hoursCursor
- Your Continue setup ran on your own API keys or a local Ollama model, and you want to keep it that way with a free, open-source extensionCline
- Your company needs SSO and centralized billing around a bring-your-own-key coding agentCline
- You used Continue's cn command-line tool and want a terminal assistant that commits every change to gitAider
- You work in a large existing repository and want the model to see a condensed map rather than whole filesAider
Frequently asked questions
Is Continue still maintained?
- No, Continue is no longer maintained: Cursor acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026, the hosted plans were shut down, and the GitHub repository has been read-only since the final VS Code release, v2.1.0, on June 19, 2026. The original team no longer fixes bugs or adds model support, so new models, IDE versions and security issues will not get fixes from them.
What is the best replacement for Continue?
- GitHub Copilot is the best overall replacement for Continue, running in the same VS Code and JetBrains IDEs with a Free plan of 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month and a 4.5/5 rating from 50 Capterra reviews. Developers who want to keep their own API keys or local models should pick Cline instead.
What is the closest alternative to Continue?
- Cline is the closest match to Continue: both are free, Apache 2.0 licensed, run in VS Code, JetBrains and the terminal, and work with your own API keys or a local Ollama model. Cline's JetBrains plugin is still in early access, and Cline's listing names no autocomplete mode.
Does Continue still work?
- Yes, Continue still installs and runs under Apache 2.0 from the VS Code Marketplace, Open VSX, the JetBrains Marketplace and npm, using your own API keys or local models with no sign-in since its final 2.0 release. Continue receives no fixes, its hosted features and Hub are gone, and its JetBrains plugin stopped at v1.0.67 in March 2026.
What happened to Continue's paid plans?
- Continue's paid plans were shut down after the Cursor acquisition in June 2026: recurring billing is disabled, unused paid credits are being refunded and hosted user data has been deleted. The discontinued plans were Starter at $3 per million tokens, Team at $20/seat/month with $10 of credits per seat, and custom Company contracts.
Is there a free alternative to Continue?
- Yes, all four Continue alternatives here can be used free: Cline and Aider are free Apache 2.0 tools that run on your own API keys, GitHub Copilot's Free plan gives 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month, and Cursor's Hobby tier includes limited Agent requests with no credit card.
Can GitHub Copilot replace Continue?
- Yes for developers who want completions, chat, code review and coding agents inside VS Code or JetBrains without managing model keys, from $0 on Free or $10/user/month on Pro. Copilot does not replace Continue's bring-your-own-key or local-model setup, which Copilot's listing does not name, so Ollama and offline users should look at Cline or Aider.
Should I move to Cursor because it bought Continue?
- Only if you are willing to change editors: Cursor, which acquired Continue Dev, Inc. in June 2026, is its own VS Code-based editor rather than an extension, with a free Hobby tier and Pro at $20/month. JetBrains users and anyone staying in stock VS Code are better served by GitHub Copilot or Cline.